Search below for stories about ships, lighthouses, sailors and anything else about life on Lake Michigan. The database contains references to articles from the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record (June 12, 1873 to Jan. 7, 1927), the Door County Advocate (Nov. 8, 1861 to Dec. 22, 1949), and the Manitowoc Pilot (June 14, 1859 to Dec. 28, 1899). The results will direct you to the date and page in these newspapers where the article can be found.
Microfilm copies of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, Algoma Public Library in Algoma. Microfilm copies of the Door County Advocate are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, the Door County Public Library in Sturgeon Bay, and the Brown County Library in Green Bay. Microfilm of the Manitowoc Pilot are available at the Manitowoc County Historical Society, the Manitowoc Public Library, and the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.
Check with your local library about obtaining the microfilm via interlibrary loan.
| Newspaper | Object | Name | Date | Page | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Sea Star | 1880-10-21 | 3 | Shipments last week. Sea Star with 2,000 posts for F. Swaty & Son. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Sea Star | 1880-09-02 | 3 | Launched and is now receiving her spars and rigging. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Sea Star | 1880-09-16 | 3 | The scow Sea Star is taking on a load at the bridge pier to-day and will probably depart before to-morrow morning. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Sea Star | 1880-09-30 | 3 | F. Swaty & Son loaded Sea Star with 2,500 posts, 25,000 feet lumber and 280,000 cedar shingles. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Sea Star | 1880-09-23 | 3 | Last Fri. the scow Sea Star took out her first load since being rebuilt. She had on 35 cords of wood and 3,000 posts for F. Swaty & Son. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Sea Star | 1880-07-29 | 3 | The job of rebuilding the scow will not be superintended by Hank Harkins but by Mr. Fellows himself. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Sea Star | 1880-08-05 | 3 | The scow Sea Star is beginning to loom up a little better. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Sea Star | 1880-07-15 | 3 | The scow Sea Star has been hauled out at this port and will be rebuilt and possibly lengthened. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Sea Star | 1883-04-26 | 3 | Foscoro to Chicago with posts | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Sea Star | 1883-05-31 | 3 | Paid $55 for colliding with craft |
This database is a cooperative effort of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA), the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS), and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. The project is spearheaded by WUAA member Russel Leitz, who helped develop a framework for the database and painstakingly combed through 54 years of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record, 87 years of the Door County Advocate and 40 years of the Manitowoc Pilot for maritime news. The more than 50,000 references are the fruit of his labor alone.